Objection
by AmityJade
Summary: What happens when you mix a loudmouth with a tendency to hold grudges, a rebel who can't fight her parents, and a worrier who just wants her friends to see sense? My name is Emma Price, and this is how I survived my Sixth Year. Oliver Wood/OC


**Hello! As I have stated in my profile, I am new to writing fanfiction and could there be a better start than with a Harry Potter fic? I hope you enjoy the story, and please feel free to leave feedback! I am always looking to improve, and thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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Do you know of those stories where everything seems chaotic, but somehow ─ _miraculously ─ _everything works out in the end? The heroes or heroines, respectively, finish triumphantly and ride off into the sunset; usually accompanied with spoils of treasure, or some handsome/busty love interest, or hey, even both! Then there's usually a mediocre sequel that you either love or hate, and you question why exactly you placed your trust in a story that, like life, inevitably will disappoint you. And _then_ the author tries to redeem themselves with a third book that usually leaves you feeling emotionally crippled and then─

I'm losing my point… Anyways, my life isn't like that. It's relatively normal, relatively speaking.

My name is Emma Price, and this is the story of how I survived my Sixth Year.

It was in the middle of summer, in which I spent a lot of time inside ─ air conditioning, it has its charms ─ mulling over my upcoming school term. At the end of last term, I couldn't wait to come home and have the opportunity to get some actual _rest_, and it was lovely at first; my brother and I got along, Mum didn't pester me about my room and its state of cleanliness, and Dad didn't order me to cut the grass until I had been home for two and a half weeks, which is a new record for him.

But then… the unavoidable happened.

Daniel, my ever annoying and ever present twin, and I got into our first row over breakfast one morning. It was about who ate the last bowl of cereal or summat, but when you are in a war it is important to take hold of strategic victories. It went something like this:

"Oi! Who ate the last bowl of cereal?"

"You did, stupid."

"I did not! You're always hoarding the cereal you─you _cereal hoarder_."

"What is a cereal hoarder!?"

"Look it up in the dictionary, it'll have a picture of **you**."

And so forth and so on, our arguments were always intelligent, as you can tell. Daniel and I had a typical brother-sister relationship. We fought like cats and dogs most of the time, but we were the first to defend the other if one of us was being harassed by someone other than a sibling. His favorite pastime was to tease me mercilessly, like the time I was asked out to Hogsmeade by Travis Emerson in fourth year.

He cornered Travis after the date, demanding to know if we used protection. The _git_. Travis never spoke to me again afterwards. In fact, every time he has seen me since then he has taken to hiding behind suits of armor, or running in the opposite direction.

I paid Daniel back letting his girl-of-the-moment know about his secret love of Celine Dion. It still makes me laugh whenever 'Love Can Move Mountains' plays on the radio.

The cereal argument led to another argument, which led to even more arguments, and finally, punishments being given out by Dad. We were grounded for most of the summer, none of our friends were allowed over, and we were forced to babysit our little sister, Andrea, every single day.

Andrea was a six-year-old terror. The brat locked me in a closet once, and somehow managed to tie Daniel to a chair in the same night. We never mention that night, however, for the sake of our dignities.

"EMMAAAAAA!" Speak of the devil. "Where are you!?" a shrill voice wailed from the floor below. I sighed and closed my book, "_Charms: the Art of Swish and Flick_," and stomped my way downstairs, discovering the little imp had managed to climb up to the top of the refrigerator and was now stuck.

"What are you doing up there?" I asked as she reached for me with flailing arms, her blonde hair sticking out in an impressive imitation of a scarecrow. "Where is Daniel?" She latched onto me, wrapping her arms and legs around my neck and middle, before sniffling in offense.

"H-he, l-left me!" My ears rang as Andrea began to wail, tightening her grip around my neck to a choking point. _Merlin_, this kid had a grip on her. I swore as her shoulder collided with my nose, sending my glasses askew.

"What do you mean he just left you?" I was going to kill Daniel if he didn't have a bloody good reason for leaving me with The Beast. Andrea's wails quieted to pathetic whimpers as I adjusted my glasses on my throbbing nose.

"Some _boy_ came in and… and Danny told me he was too busy to p-play with meEEEEE!" I winced as Andrea began wailing again, burying her face into the side of my neck. Before this summer, I would have believed her little story; but having experienced her proclivity to exaggeration I knew it was best to allow the accused to testify before sentencing him.

Yes, I watch a lot of legal dramas.

I set Andrea on her feet, much to her displeasure, and marched towards the door that led to our extensive backyard. She followed closely, and I could have sworn I heard a few devious giggles coming from the small child. I glanced over my shoulder as she shoved one hand in her pocket, the other grasping my left hand, before smiling innocently, baby blue eyes widened for dramatic effect.

I had to hand it to her, the kid was very clever.

Kicking the door open with a little more force than necessary, my dark brown gaze zeroed in on my target with precision. Daniel was flying on his Cleansweep Seven with great abandon, and my stomach sunk at the realization of exactly _who _had decided to visit. Why him? Why now? _Why me? _

"Emma!" Andrea whined, tugging on the hem of my shorts so strongly she nearly pulled them down. I grabbed her hand before such a thing could happen ─ like I needed that humiliation ─ and inhaled deeply.

"**OI!**" I screeched, startling the boys so badly they nearly collided with each other, before they looked over their shoulders with matching withering glares. "Get over here **now!**" I stood in place, with my hip cocked to the side and my hand planted against it, tapping my foot on the ground as the boys flew over to me. Daniel was the second to land, preceded by the one he─ unfortunately ─called his best mate.

"Nice to see you too, Price." He remarked, sarcasm and disdain dripping from his tone.

"Likewise, Wood." I retorted.

Oliver Wood and I's relationship was easy enough to explain: he didn't like me, and I certainly didn't like him. In his opinion I was a 'cynical bird with an attitude problem,' and when he mentioned this to me, I promptly instructed him where he could shove said opinion.

The feud between Wood and I had been an ongoing one since the beginning of our flying lessons in first year. He was, naturally, one of the best fliers in our class and I happened to be one of the worst. Wood, being a foolish, eleven-year-old boy who thought he knew everything, arrogantly took it upon himself to tell me everything I was doing wrong. I, being a headstrong, eleven-year-old girl did not take kindly to being ordered around by him, and somehow managed to knock him off of his broom.

He didn't suffer any physical injuries, besides a bruise or five, but the blow to his pride was enough for us to build a long standing foundation of mutual disgust and loathing.

Ever since then, the two of us have competed with each other in every possible way. Wood was at the top of our year in Transfiguration ─ the tosser ─ while I was at the top in Charms. He was Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain, and I was a Gryffindor Prefect. Any and every opportunity available was used by us to outwit, or outperform the other. It was a vicious cycle, really, but it was simply the way of things.

What made it worse was Daniel and Wood's unending, and absolutely inconvenient, friendship. This meant that not only would I encounter the bloke at Hogwarts; I would also be able to see him in the comfort of my own home. The only one who seemed to dislike him as much as I did was Andrea, but I didn't take much stock in the support of my baby sister. Wood had Mum and Dad charmed into thinking he was a perfect gentleman, always complimenting Mum on her cooking ─ which was terrible on a _good_ day, I'll have you know ─ and acting interested in my Dad's model train collection.

I, however, was not fooled.

As he stood there in front of me, arms crossed to draw attention to his nicely toned arms; we locked eyes, which initiated the start of yet another glaring feud. Our record for glaring without blinking was two minutes and 14 seconds, if you were wondering. Andrea held onto my left leg, watching the scene with uncharacteristic silence. Daniel's eyes veered into a roll, muttering something along the lines of "_Of-bloody-course," _underneath his breath.

"Don't you have a book to stick your nose in?" Wood asked, displaying himself as the smug, self-centered prat I knew him to be.

"Don't you have another home to stalk?"

"And miss out on your charming personality?"

"Oh─go snog a broomstick!" Wood's lips formed into a triumphant smirk, knowing he had managed to strike a nerve.

"Jealous, Price?" My expression flattened as the tension became thick enough to spark lightning bolts between the two of us. He was _insufferable_.

"'Nauseated,' would be the correct term, Wood."

"You know, instead of fighting like you always do, why don't you try ignoring each ot─" Daniel attempted weakly, his words becoming lost in the ensuing argument.

"Semantics, love."

"I'll show you bloody semantics when I shove your broom up your─"

"Mummy!" Andrea exclaimed, running to Mum's outstretched arms with a gleeful smile. Wood and I ceased in our bickering and adopted agreeable expressions as Mum walked up to us.

"Hello, Oliver, how are you? My, you have grown so much in the past year." I cringe as Mum takes it upon herself to wink saucily in my direction. So what if Wood was fit? I also find biscuits attractive but that doesn't mean I want to up and snog them.

"I'm well, Mrs. Price."

"Lovely, will you be staying the night?" I furiously shook my head, sensing Wood's amusement at my expense. Merlin, no, he couldn't stay. This was my home, _my sanctuary_ ─surely Mum would understand.

"If you'll have me, I wouldn't want to intrude." What a load of bollocks! He's always made himself perfectly comfortable before. Mum looked positively delighted, causing Andrea to jump up and down in excitement.

Traitor, I knew I couldn't rely on her.

"Oh, Oliver, you know that you're always welcome here." I scoff at this, earning a glare from Mum and a look of false hurt from Oliver. He was two seconds away from being backhanded, courtesy of yours truly.

"Emma! Do not be impolite to our guest!" Oliver smirked in my direction until Mum turned her attention back on him, changing his expression to one of absolute innocence. Daniel snickered quietly as my face began to resemble the deep red shade of a tomato. "I am truly sorry."

"It's alright, Mrs. Price. I know Emma didn't mean _anything_ by it."

I hated him. I hated him so much. There he stood, like a pompous prat, in my own backyard pretending to be some sort of angelic saint when he was really a demon; a tall, Scottish demon who liked to enjoy my suffering

"You are such a sweetie, dear." Mum's soothing tone switched the moment she set her eyes on me. "Apologize, Emma."

"_What!?"_

"You heard me, young lady."

"But Mum! He's─"

"**Now**." I bit my tongue to prevent the insults from flying out of my mouth. Wood stood across from me, mouth twitching as he tried not to grin, and I mentally counted to ten before I deemed it safe to open my mouth. Something about this boy always managed to bring out the worst in me.

"I'm," Merlin, this was hard. "_Sorry_… " Mum nodded in satisfaction, while Wood looked as if Christmas had come early─sodding prat.

"There, was that so hard? Now why don't you all─" But I was not finished, cutting Mum off mid-sentence.

"Mum! Why don't you give Wo-uh, Oliver some of the biscuits you just made!" Wood's smirk fell, making it my turn to reign triumphant. Oh yeah, karma was a real _bitch_. "I'm certain he'll love your newest recipe!" Daniel turned away, shoving his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"That's a wonderful idea! You wait here, and I'll bring them to you."

"… Thank you." Wood answered weakly as Mum left us in the backyard in search of her latest baking creation. I had been forced to try one the day before, and it tasted like a brick, topped with cinnamon.

Mum was many things, but a baker, she was not.

"Well," I drawled, basking in my sudden victory. "My work here is done. Enjoy the biscuits, Wood." I patted him on the head patronizingly before walking towards the back door, a happy skip in my step.

"Price," Wood growled. I spun on one foot and smiled innocently.

"Yes, Wood?" Wood's eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze traveled from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. The intensity of his scrutiny caused an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, sort of like the jittery feeling you have before you're about to fly down the first big drop on a rollercoaster. His eyes lit with mischief and I realized I had forgotten something very important.

"Nice slippers." He smirked as I glanced down at my feet. To my horror, they were nestled inside my pink, fuzzy, unicorn slippers, complete with jingling bells attached to the horns. This realization was Daniel's final straw as he began guffawing, rolling on the ground from side to side in hysterics. I met Wood's amused look with an airy look of dignity… before removing the slipper off of my left foot, and chucking it at his head.

He ducked smoothly ─ stupid Quidditch reflexes ─ and I could feel the smirk that followed me all the way inside, even after I slammed the door behind me.

I should never have left my room.

_Wood: 1.  
Emma: 0._

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The rest of summer flew and in the blink of an eye, it was September 1st; it was time to start another term. Dad, as usual, had to calm Mum down as we arrived at King's Cross ─ she didn't handle separation well, for various reasons.

"Mummy, why can't I go to Hogwarts like Emma and Danny?" Andrea asked. I shook my head as we narrowly squeezed through the crowd. Each year seemed to only get worse, and the amount of textbooks required for this term was obscene. Does the faculty of Hogwarts even care how much it costs to purchase all of Gilderoy Lockhart's novels? Galleons don't grow on trees, after all!

I won't even get started on the perfection of the author's teeth. Honestly, how did he keep them so… blinding?

"Sweetbean," To this day, I never understood how Andrea wound up with such a nickname. I think Dad came up with it to use as blackmail in the future. "We have talked about this before, and you know why." Andrea pouted as a group of soon-to-be first years walked past her, clutching their school robes with the look of excitement only someone new to Hogwarts could manage.

Aww, the ickle little Firsties… they had no idea what they were getting into.

"S'just not fair… " Daniel reached down to ruffle Andrea's hair, before winking at a group of girls congregated in front of the train. The group dissolved into giggles, one of them being so bold as to wink back. The moment Daniel grew out of his awkward stage ─ long limbs, shaggy hair, big feet ─ he became somewhat of a phenomenon with the female population. It was an interesting thing to observe, like an odd, slightly nauseating, social experiment.

"You wouldn't like stuffy ole' Hoggy's anyways!" He faked a grimace as Andrea stared at him, unconvinced. "All the books, and assignments, and─ugh─I'm amazed I'm even going back."

"I am too," I agreed, clutching Daniel's arm before sobbing melodramatically. "It's _terrible_, just terrible! How could you make us go back, Mum?" Mum's saddened expression began to lift at our antics while Andrea watched with a critical eye. Dad simply shook his head as I tried to use Daniel's scarf to dry my fake tears and he wheezed onto my shoulder.

"Promise me you'll both do your best with your schoolwork," Mum began, her voice shaking ever so slightly. This was how she always began her 'New Term Speech' and Daniel and I had learned to humor her; more for her sake than ours. Seeing us leave was something that never came easily for her.

"Yes, Mum." We stated, our tones matching perfectly.

"And make sure that you write to us, especially you Emma,"

"Yes, Mum."

"Daniel, if you get a girlfriend this year," I snorted at this. When did Daniel _not_ have a girlfriend? "Don't you dare make me a grandmother."

"Mum!" Daniel protested, his ears turning bright red. No matter how old he got, Mum was still talented at embarrassing him profusely.

"Sandra, dear," Dad interjected. "This isn't the place to have this conversation."

"Emma, make sure you _try_ to have some fun this year."

"Mum!" It was my turn to squawk. Her mouth tipped with amusement as I waved my arms angrily; I knew exactly what her idea of 'fun' was, and I had no intentions of getting into any sort of empty classroom/broom cupboard shenanigans. In retrospect, having to hear such advice from my own mother didn't say much about my social life. "Honestly!"

Mum pulled Daniel and I into a forceful hug, despite our flustered states, clinging on to the both of us for a few moments. "I love you both, and I'm so proud of you." She released us, tears sliding down her cheeks. My stomach sank as her hands began to shake; if only I could have taken her anxiety away…

"I love you too, Mum." I whispered before hugging her one more time and moving onto my Dad. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.

"Keep your chin up, sweetheart." He said before kissing me on the top of my head. "And take time to enjoy yourself, alright?"

"I will, Dad." Dad wrapped his arm over my shoulders for a quick hug before letting me go. Andrea stared at the ground and offered a sullen, "Bye. Don't forget to send me presents."

She said this every year; there was nothing like having a little sister that clearly loved me so very much.

My family stood together, with Dad consoling my grieving Mum, as Daniel and I walked away. My trunk suddenly seemed to weigh three times heavier as I attempted to haul it on the train. You would think they'd be nice and actually levitate the trunks onto the train for us, but _no_.

"Emma?" I looked up, hearing the sound of a familiar voice carrying over the wind. "Emma!?"

In a matter of seconds, my vision was clouded by wild hair as I was pounced upon. The air whooshed out of my lungs as arms wrapped around my stomach like iron bands. The surprising strength and lack of volume control could only mean one thing:

"Sydney!" I gasped, a sudden dizziness coming over me due to lack of oxygen. "Can't. Breathe!"

"It's been so long!"

"Need─oxygen─"

"You never write, you cow! Do you know how many days I waited─" A gurgling noise escaped from the back of my throat and Sydney gasped, letting go of me so quickly I fell to my knees. I leaned forward on my hands, inhaling deep breaths as she simultaneously apologized and lectured me for not communicating well enough.

"Emma! I'm so sorry, are you okay? Why didn't you tell me you were choking, for Merlin's sake! Daniel!" Daniel flinched as Sydney punched his arm. "Why didn't you protect your sister?"

"It'd take an Unforgivable to stop the likes of you." he muttered. "Bloody_ hell_, woman; you punch like a man."

"Grow a set, princess." Sydney retorted as she helped me to a stand. Daniel rolled his eyes before leaving us behind ─ he could only take small measures of Sydney at a time.

Sydney Frazer was known for two things at Hogwarts: her mouth, and her anomalous physical strength. She and I bonded quickly in first year over the mutual terror we felt over being 'fresh meat' in a school full of new horizons. Her unfiltered opinions had landed her in McGonagall's office on many occasions, and she was a person who did not believe in doing anything in half-measures. All of this boldness and personality, however, came deceptively in a striking, bright-eyed, curly haired package.

"I think that's a new personal record," Sydney commented with a grin. "I managed to scare Dan away in less than a minute!"

"Well, normally you wait at least five minutes before emasculating him, Syd."

"Suffering produces character. He'll get over it."The unsubtle clearing of someone's throat behind us drew our attention. An entire queue of students had formed behind Sydney and I and we were now on the receiving end of glares from each, and every one of them. Sydney met their ire with a withering look of her own as she tugged her trunk forward.

"Impatient little buggers─can't even catch up with my best friend─" she continued to grumble as we squeezed through the narrow passageway and claimed an empty compartment towards the middle of the train. By the time we managed to place our trunks on the shelves above us, we had to fight three different groups for the ownership of the compartment we had occupied.

"And **stay out**!" Sydney bellowed, as a group of seventh year boys fled the area in search of another compartment. I shook my head as one of the boys extended his middle finger in the air towards us: who said chivalry was dead?

"Who was that again?" she asked, flopping ungraciously onto the bench across from me and propping her feet up.

"Which one?"

"The tall, middle-finger-happy prat."

"Gilbert Slater; Slytherin;" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Why do you ask?" Sydney, while hilarious most of the time, had a tendency to hold grudges and the last thing she needed to do was start a fight with the likes of Gilbert Slater. The boy was, for lack of a better word, a bully and was known for showing hatred towards women.

For example, he dated Eliza Gibson for two years and instead of breaking up with her in private, he announced to the whole world she was, 'only good for a shag,' and proceeded to snog her best friend for the rest of breakfast. I'd never lost my appetite so quickly in my entire life.

I shuddered to think what could happen if Sydney tried to start a fight with a bloke like him.

As Sydney opened her mouth to answer, the compartment door slid open; revealing a petite, slim girl with exotic features, and silky black hair. "Merlin, I thought I'd never find you two!"

"Clara!" It was now Clara's turn to be taken down by the flurry that was Sydney Frazer; she didn't even stand a chance as she suffered through an asphyxiating hug not unlike the one I experienced.

"Oi!" I protested. "Let go of her before she suffocates!" Sydney released Clara, who had turned an attractive shade of purple, and returned to her seat with a satisfied expression.

"It's what you two get for never writing." Clara rolled her eyes as she stowed her trunk.

"You know how my parents are, Sydney." She swore as the trunk landed on her thumb, shaking her hand rapidly before sitting down. "They don't like owls."

Clara Stackley was an intelligent girl who happened to belong to two _extremely_ over-protective parents. She was Muggleborn, and the moment her family discovered she was a witch was akin to nuclear fallout. After having met her parents on more than one occasion, I was amazed that they had even allowed her to attend Hogwarts. She was the girl who received letters every day that threatened to pull her out of school if she stepped even one toe out of line.

"Your parents are mental," Sydney stated, pulling a copy of Witch Weekly out of her bag ─ _"How to Make Your Wizard Love You in Five Simple Steps" ─ _"You should get new ones."

"Sure, Clara'll just trade them in for new models. That'll solve everything." I drawled. Sydney lowered her magazine just enough to reveal her cutting glare.

"You and your sarcasm," she muttered.

"You and your bad advice," I retorted. Clara snatched Sydney's magazine out of her hands and pointed to the picture on the cover of the Cannon's dishy new Chaser, Wesley Worthington.

"_This _is complete rubbish. Why you keep renewing your subscription is beyond me."

"Oi! It happens to be very informative!" Sydney protested, reaching for her beloved magazine. Clara held it just out of her reach as she thumbed through the pages critically.

"Dating advice; beauty tips; Wesley Worthington's abs; more dating advice; you're right, it's positively educational." Sydney finally managed to reclaim her magazine and clutched it to her chest protectively.

"If you hate it so much, why do you always read it late at night when you think everyone is asleep?"

"That's straight bollocks!"

"You took all of the perfume samples!" The two girls continued to bicker amicably as I listened with a smile.

Some things never changed.

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**There you have it; I know it may seem a bit of a slow start, but I had to introduce you to the major players of the story. Shenanigans and insanity will ensue from this point on! Thank you again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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